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Phoenix Heart (Legion of Thieves)
The Legion of Thieves ''' '''Phoenix Heart 'Maximilian Martell ' "Twenty-one o'clock, we're right on schedule Myriah." I shouted over the sound of the wind whistling in my ears. Myriah let out a loud caw as she descended into Osbourne Garden. From this height I could clearly see the Brooklyn Museum lit up like a torch for a charity gala. Myriah circled above a trail near the parking lot. Despite being no bigger than an eagle Myriah was able to quickly and effortlessly carry me through the air. Her flame colored feathers glowed faintly in the darkness. Having a pet phoenix certainly had its advantages. She gently set me on the ground and removed her talons from my shoulders, careful not to poke holes in my black tuxedo. The gala was invite only, and thanks to an "accidental" mix up in the mail, Dr. Scott Johnson wouldn't be making it tonight. Not that he would've gone anyways. From what I had heard the man was a monster. He was a psychic medium who lured his patients into a free public reading, then he would charge ridiculous amounts of money for private sessions. Soon the poor victims were drained of their money. The idea of giving money to a charitable cause probably would've made the man break out in hives. I dusted myself off and ran my fingers through my wind-blown hair. "Alright Myriah, remember meet me on the roof in two hours." I said checking my gold pocket watch again. "If I'm not there you know what to do." I said stroking her neck. She cooed like a pigeon then took off into the air. I held up a single feather I had plucked from her neck and tucked it in my jacket pocket. I leisurely strolled down the path to the parking lot. People would park their car then continue to the front entrance. I could see men in tuxedos and women in long elegant dresses. I spotted a teenage girl in a long black dress. I winked at her and she looked around wildly like I wasn't supposed to see her. Then she fixed her hair and continued through the front door of the museum. "Well that was weird." I muttered to myself. I walked up the front steps and was stopped by a large security guard with a nasty looking scar over his left eye. "May I see your Invitation, sir?" He asked holding out his hand. I retrieved the invitation from my inside pocket and presented it with a flourish. I handed it to the guard and waited as he verified my name. "Welcome Dr. Johnson, have a pleasant evening." He said returning my invitation. I gave him my thanks and strolled inside. It was pure luck that Dr. Johnson and I looked alike. All I had to do was let my mustache grow out and allow my hair to naturally darken. No one who didn't know the real Dr. Johnson that well, wouldn't be able to tell the difference. The gala was being held in the Great Hall on the first floor in the East Wing. I decided to spend time at the gala and blow some of Dr. Johnson's "hard earned" money. I grabbed a glass of champagne and walked about chatting up several people, minor celebrities, artists, doctors and business tycoons. I participated in several silent auctions and spent a good chunk of Dr. Johnson's cash. I checked my watch at 22:00 and decided it was time to get to work. See I wasn't here just to decrease Dr. Johnson's bank account. Three flights up was my target, a ruby of immense size and value; Louis XIV's Phoenix Heart. The invitation was my way in to the museum. With the gala going on down here the security on the upper levels would be relaxed. I grabbed a jumbo shimp off a passing serving tray and headed for the back of the Hall. I was about to pass the bathroom when a kid leaped out of now where with a deck of cards in his hand. "Hey mister you wanna see a trick?" He asked shuffling his deck. I chuckled, he must've been one of the entertainers for the event. "Alright kid, but it better be something I haven't seen before." "Alright pick a card." He said fanning out the deck. I realized they were tarot cards. I picked one out, The Sun. I then placed it back in and he reshuffled the deck. "Okay now," He continued placing the deck in his back pocket. "Nothing up my sleeves," He reached behind my ear and when he pulled his hand back a card had appeared. "Ta-Da!" The card he had was The Sun. I gave him a small applause as he took a bow. "Very good kid, now, give me back my wallet." I demanded holding out my hand. The kid looked startled. "W-what!?" He stammered. "Come on kid, oldest trick in the book. Now, hand it over before I call security." I ordered. The kid looked down at his shoes and pulled my wallet out of his breast pocket. "Thank you. Hey, try the brunette in the blue dress at the bar. She's been slamming martinis since she got here." We both laughed and he walked back to the party. I checked my wallet and realized that I was about fifty quid short. I decided to let it slide, it wasn't my money anyways and to me fifty bucks was chump change. I continued on to the elevators. They had been turned off for the night but with some concentration I was able to send a surge of electricity through the system and get the elevator to go up two floors. The doors opened and I stepped out. I needed to move quickly, security would be sending someone up to check on the elevator moving on it's own. I had scoped out the museum earlier this week and noted all the security measures. I closed my eyes and snapped my fingers. The light waves around me began to bend, turning me completely invisible. Even though the lights had been turned out I could see clearly in the dark. I then processed to the Beaux-Arts Court. In the middle of the court, on a raised dais, sat the Phoenix Heart. I cautiously walked to the edge and knelt down next to one of the pillars they had set up. These pillars were not just decorations. I could see a laser grid had been set up between the pillars, rigged to an alarm system that would alert security and the local police. I placed my fingers together then slowly spread them apart. The lasers reacted to my movements and began moving out of the way. I worked my way to the Phoenix Heart which was sitting under 2" thick bullet proof glass. With the lasers out of the way I held out my index finger and it glowed with a white-hot light. I pointed at the case and a small beam of light shot from my finger tip with laser-like precision. I cut a six inch hole in the glass and the popped out the perfect circle. My fingers closed around the ruby and I pulled it out of the case. I admired the gem up close for the first time. It was slightly bigger than my hand and cut into the shape of a heart. The center of the ruby was lighter than the rest of the gem, like the white core of a flame. It was going to look beautiful sitting on my mantle at home. Ding! ''The sound of the elevator arriving brought me out of my day dream. I pocketed the gem and replaced it with Myriah's feather. I popped the piece of glass back into place and resealed the cut. Lastly, I waved my hand and a mirage appeared around the feather making it look like the gem was still there. I turned around waiting for the guards to come bursting in. The only person who entered was the girl I saw when I first arrived. She had traded her sleek black dress for a pair of black jeans, a black beanie, and a faded black t-shirt with something written in a foregin language.. "Now ''that ''is weird." I thought as she approached the pillar. She walked into the room with no fear of the security cameras so she must've been using some type of device or magic to conceal herself. Like me she knelt down next to the pillars. Unlike me she started pulling out mirrors and placing them near the lasers. Once she had an opening she skillfully entered through and stood in front of the case, on the opposite side of me. She placed her hand to her ear. "Xaro I'm at the case, target is in site." She must've been working with others. Probably someone on security detail, otherwise guards would've already swarmed the place. She pulled out a small drill began working on the case. I calmly turned around and worked my way out of the lasers. I stood by the nearest window and watched as the girl reached into the case. Even from twenty feet away I could see the look of shock and horror when she grabbed Myriah's feather. "Xaro! Abbiamo un problema''! The rubies gone!" There was a pause and I noticed she had a thick accent, Greek? Spanish? I couldn't tell. "I don't know all that's here is a maledizione feather!" "Looking for this?" I asked holding up the Phoenix Heart. My invisibility fell away causing the girl to jump and pull out a wicked looking curved knife. I reached into my pocket and pulled out Dr. Johnson's invitation. "Catch!" I shouted whipping the card through the laser beam. A siren started wailing and the room was bathed in a red light. The girl lunged at me knife poised to attack. "See ya in jail!" I shouted and jumped out the window, glass shattering as I plummeting to the sidewalk. "Didn't really think this through." I thought as the sidewalk came closer into view. Just before impact something grabbed me. I looked up and found Myriah looking down at me disapprovingly. We flew just above the surface of the pavement before Myriah soared upward and began circling the museum. Down below I could see the mass of party goers exiting the building as police cars sqarmed the area. Myriah hovered over the museum for a minute as we watched the chaos. I didn't see the girl but I did spot the magician kid who was in a serious conversation with the security guard who checked me in. Suddenly they both looked up, directly at me. The guard said something to the kid then shrugged off his security coat. The kid ran back inside and the guard continued to stare at me.. "Let's go home Myriah." I whispered. She flapped her wings twice and started flying northeast. I looked down and noticed the security guard was following us on foot. As we flew over a nearby building I thought we had lost him. However he somehow managed to jump over the building and soar into the air. "Oh bullocks! We've got company girl!" I shouted as the guard flew closer. Myriah cawed in defiance and picked up speed. I grabbed hold of Myriah's legs and she let go of my shoulders. I spun my self around to face our persuer them Myriah grabbed ahold of my shoulders again. I watched as he got closer, maybe twenty meters away. I held out my hands and golf ball sized spheres of light flew from my palms like rockets. I watched as they swarmed the guard and exploded like fireworks. The guard dropped a few meters and continued after us. I unleashed another barrage, this time scattering them wider. The guard raised his hands and a dark wall of energy materialized in front of him, negating my attack. "Okay, let's kick it up a notch." I whispered. I removed the braceletes from my wrists and they grew into my two'' ''chakrams. I threw the first, missing the guard by centimeters. It arched through the air and flew back into my hand. I threw my second chakram in a wide arch. This time the guard pulled a black sword out of thin air and slashed at my weapon causing it to tumble through the air before returned to my hand. I gritted my teeth and cursed. This guy was smart and had training and powers to rival my own. I needed to shake him, I placed the heels of my palms together and began to form a ball of light. The guard flew closer, hand outstreched. He was shouting something but I couldn't hear him ovver the wind and the blood rushing in my ears. When he was only a meter away I spread my arms wide, unleashing a blinding flash of light. It enveloped the area lighting up the night sky like a second sun. I heard the guard scream and when the light died I could see the guard slowly hovering back to earth, rubbing his eyes. Other than some temporary blindness I'm sure he'd be fine. I let out a sigh of relief. "Alright Myriah, we're in the clear." It had been a very long night but well worth it. Thirty minutes later we landed on the patio of my apartment in Boston Massachustes. I took a minute to admire the view of the Charles River before unlocking the door to the penthouse. Myriah flew to her perch, a large, modified candelabra that I stole from Notre Dame. I hung my jacket and removed the Phoenix Heart from the inside pocket. I walked over to my mantle and placed the Phoenix Heart in the center, between two faberge eggs. I flopped down on my couch and watched the light reflect off my newest treasure. After a few minutes I went to the WC, changed out of my tuxedo, and finally shaved my mustache. I changed into my night wear and was about to go to sleep when there was a knock at my door. I checked the grandfather clock in the foyer. "Midnight! Who in Hades... Bloody Hell!" I shouted looking through the peep hole. On the other side of the door was the security guard, the thief girl and the magician. My heart started hammering out of my chest. They found me! How in the name of the immortals did they figure out where I lived! "Maximilian Martell, we come to you in peace." I heard from the other side of the door. I looked through the peep hole again and found that the security-guard-guy was holding a white dove with an olive branch in its beak. "We swear on the River Styx that we will bring no harm to you and your pet Phoenix. We also promise not to steal anything of your posessions." With an unbreakable oath made on the River Styx I felt a little bit safer. But I wasn't going to greet them like this. I ran into my room and threw on a Mulberry silk robe. I set a pot of water on the stove and blasted it with a beam of light to jump start the boiling. I tossed a ball of fire into the fire place and then removed the triple locks on the door and opened it with a smile. "Welcome! Come in I just put on a pot of tea." I said gesturing for them to come in. The magician and the girl each held one of the guard's arms. For the first time I realized he was wearing thick sunglasses like the kind blind people wore. I cringed realizing I probably caused that. I directed them into the living room then retrieved the kettle that had started whistling. I left them alone long enough to get a proper tea tray set up with four cups, sugar and biscuts. When I returned to the living room the trio was right where I left them. Myriah was looking down at them from her perch. I set the tray down on the coffee table and offered each of them a cup. After a few minutes of akward silence. The large guy spoke up. "Oh where are my manners, My name is Xaro Leitz and these are my associates Camilla "Dawn" Croce and Pratt Aegon." He said motioning to the girl then the boy. Dawn shot Xaro a hateful look but Pratt held up a hand as if to say "Later." "It's nice to formally meet each of you." I replied. "Now then, I have two questions for you Mr. Leitz." I contiuned setting dowm my tea cup. "How did you find me, and what is it you want?" Xaro smiled. "I am a telepath." He said and opened his hand causing his cup an saucer to levitate to the table. "I read your mind as you were flying away and I apologize for it. As to what we want... Originally we wanted to steal the Phoenix Heart because we were bored. Then after you made offf with it Dawn wanted to kill you and take it from you..." I quickly looked at her and she rolled her eyes. "But, I convinced them to let you live because we could use a man like you." He said gesturing towards me. "A man like me for what?" I asked rubbing my chakram bracelets. "I Xaro Leitz, as the High Master, would like to formally invite you to join the Legion of Thieves." He then went on to explain the history of the Legion, how he alone had resurrected the organization, and their mission. When he finished he folded his hands and waited for my reply. I couldn't deny I was impressed. What they were doing was noble, I wasn't sure if it was worthy of a knighthood or a hanging... probably both. And I had to admit I was getting pretty lonely, even with Myriah around. "Mr. Leitz..." I started. "Please call me Xaro." He said holding up his hand. "Xaro, I would be honored to join your organization." I finished. Xaro offered me his hand and told me I could move my things to the Legion's Headquarters next week. They stoood to leave and before they left Xaro turned to Pratt. The two seemed to have a silent conversation for a few seconds. Then Pratt sighed, reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a shiny metal object that he tossed to me. I caught it and realized it was the pocket watch I had worn to the gala! Before I could say anything Pratt, Xaro and Dawn had shut the door and left. Category:SonOfZeus1200 Category:The Legion of Thieves